Buying cannabis regularly can get expensive so you always want to make sure that you are getting the most bang for your buck, especially when trying out new strains that you may not be too familiar with. While legalization efforts and the many dispensaries that have popped up as a result make choosing good quality cannabis easier than ever before, it’s always a good know how to identify the great from the mediocre. Luckily there are a few simple ways that can help you determine just how high a quality your next herb purchase is.

One of the easiest ways to identify good quality cannabis is by just observing it closely. Same as with other types of flowers, you can be fairly certain that the prettier the herb looks the higher the quality will be. When inspecting the herb you’ll want to keep an eye out for any signs of discoloration which could indicate mold, mildew, and/or bugs. Another identifier that’s common to poor quality cannabis is the fact that it is often stored as compressed bricks which many times include stems, seeds, and a fair amount of shake. Cannabis stored this way is also usually darker green and browner in color than higher quality herb, although a darker color could potentially be due to the strain in question’s genetics.

Another great way of being able to tell how good a strain will be is by its aroma. While different strains can exhibit any number of different types of scents (piney, sweet, earthy, citrusy, etc.) quality cannabis usually has a strong yet fresh odor to it. Sometimes just by taking a whiff of a few buds you can tell that a strain is going to be a hit, but again, this can vary due to the genetics involved with any particular cannabis strain. Another factor to take into consideration when choosing your cannabis is how it feels to the touch. The buds should be dry enough to burn properly yet moist enough to feel somewhat spongy. Crumbling bud is a bad sign since it indicates that the cannabis has gotten too dry which is often accompanied by lower THC levels and lack of potency. On the flip side, you don’t want the cannabis buds to be too moist as they are difficult to smoke and can more easily develop fungus and mold.

Ultimately, the best way to find out if a particular strain is any good is to actually smoke it. Obviously this requires that you already own the herb but there is no better way to confirm whether or not you will like a specific cannabis strain than getting high with it. With this in mind we highly recommend that enthusiasts try to expand their horizons and pick out different strains that they are not familiar with every now and again, you never know when you may be pleasantly surprised by a new favorite!

Do you have any tips that you’d like to share for picking out particularly good cannabis?